*Prologue: There is some low level game-speak in this that I don’t elaborate on. I think it is funny.
This is a thank you message.
When I first decided to support the Stolley Children’s Hospital by playing 24 hours of World of Warcraft (in cahoots with the Extra Life community) I had no idea how insightful the experience would be.
I mean, I thought it would be fun and for a good cause and all that, but I didn’t realize how many great people were in my life; how many great people were around me.
Firstly was my wife Elizabeth. I know she is great, but she surprised me in this instance. Even though she says that she couldn’t have an opinion on me partaking in the game-a-thon as I proclaimed on the Internet that I was doing it before she even knew, I think that’s hogwash. She supported the idea and me and never ever made me feel silly or like it was a burden.
You see, we recently had a little boy. He is going on three months now. That takes a lot of work. A lot of work you can’t do when you are trying to level your Pandarin Shaman.
She took him for the full 24 hours while daddy played his video game. That simplifies what she did and what I did, but it matters to me that she didn’t bat an eye. She also got me a pirate hat.
The pirate hat was in a ’24 hour video gaming survival box’ that also contained treats, candies and various healthy energy boosters (plus one not so healthy one that gave me a late boost at 4:30 a.m.). To my wife Elizabeth I say thank you for your support. When you married the crap out of me I knew you were rad, but your radness is in a constant state of growth and wonder. Thank you honey.
Secondly, Jason Ludwig.
Jason and I played together the whole 24 hours. While he was at his home and I was at mine, we were still in the thick of things together. We killed wizards together, we p0wn3d n00bs and I gave him all my silverleaf to he could make some sick-ass scrolls.
At one point, a group of asshats wanted to punt me from the dungeon we were blasting because it seemed like I was just leeching XP (I spilt some stuff on my shirt and was having a wardrobe malfunction), but Jason came to my aid and defended my good name. I ended up just quitting that run, but Jason showed me true friendship. If I ever need someone to help me kill some haunted trolls in real life, he is the first monk on my list. Thanks for being aces J.
Thirdly, all the people who liked, re-tweeted, up-modded, shared, favourited and commented on my shenanigans. The online and real life support was a great help. It validated what I was doing. It kept me going when I just wanted to take a shower, have a good cry and go to bed. It made me feel like I shared a commonality with humanity. I don’t get that feeling a lot.
Finally, the donors. The people who donated. You guys are awesome. All of you. From the very beginning of my announcing I was going to do Extra Life, to the wee hours in the morning when the final donations came in, you guys are great. And you are:
Grant Wawrzynek
Riley Beach
Elizabeth Wilkie
Anonymous
Taylor Chadwick
Maggie Tate
Carol and Wes Budd
Andrea Beca
Rose Wilkie
Colin MacIntyre
Kevin Humphrey
Renee Burt
Brad Thomson
Matt Stanton
Craig Buchert
Sherry Waddle
Ryan Malmo-Harper
Amy Neufeld
I set out to make 300 dollars thinking that if I hit $150 that I would be happy with what I did. I ended up raising $515. I also ended up learning something special: At hour 20 of a gaming marathon your eyes twitch like dying spiders. Also: I’m surrounded by some pretty wonderful people. Thank you. Thank you very much for helping me support the kids at the Stollery. Every since my wife and I had our child, I don’t know what I would do if there wasn’t a place I could take him if he got sick. I think you all know what I mean.
The Trent Wilkie 